Residents of border villages were afraid of the closure of the border
Belarus is literally surrounded by enemies. On Thursday, President Alexander Lukashenko thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his public support “against the background of attempts to destabilize the situation” in the country, and the next day he demonstrated that this assistance is more than justified. Speaking atat a meeting in honor of Independence Day, he announced that “sleeping terrorist cells”had been eliminated in the country. The statement caused panic in Ukraine — it was from there, according to Lukashenko, that weapons were sent to Minsk, so the border between the countries must be closed.
At a solemn meeting in honor of the Independence Day of Belarus, Lukashenko told about another attempt to seize power. Photo: gov.by
The “terrorists” gathered in the telegram channel “Self-Defense Units of Belarus”. The” combat reserve ” of the group is 2.5 thousand subscribers. The attackers allegedly planned to undermine the communications center of the Russian Navy in the Belarusian city of Vileyka and for some reason cut off the tongue of a journalist of the STV TV channel Grigory Azarenok. None of this worked out for them. In Vileika, security was prudently strengthened, and Azarenok literally scattered the attackers with one hand. “The main moderator of this action is a citizen of the Russian Federation Dudnikov,” the president said.
Germany, Ukraine, the United States, Poland and Lithuania were also allegedly involved in the upcoming “terror” against Minsk. In particular, according to the Belarusian security officials, weapons were supplied from Ukraine to Belarus, so Lukashenko decided to close this section of the border. The news caused panic among residents of border Ukrainian villages, reportsthe publication “Country”. For 10 years, a simplified border crossing regime has been in effect between the states — during the blueberry season from August 1 to August 10 and when cranberries are harvested – from September 1 to September 15. Now they are worried that they will be left without these reserves and blame the country’s leadership for another conflict with their neighbors: “Is it not enough for us, or is it not enough for Russia and the war in the Donbas?”
However, the fear turned out to be groundless. People who crossed the Belarusian-Ukrainian border over the past weekend report that they did not notice any changes. “Everything was in normal mode. We looked at the documents, quickly examined the things and missed them. There was nothing unusual, “a man who arrived in Minsk from Ukraine on Saturday shared with MK. According to Belarusian political analysts interviewed by MK, the authorities often threaten Kiev with closing the border, but it usually does not go beyond words.
Ukrainian political scientist Alexey Yakubin explained that it would be inappropriate to stop the message in the current situation. “First, Ukraine is largely dependent on the fuel market, which it receives from Belarus. The second point is Zelensky’s advertised project “Big Construction site”, for the implementation of which Ukraine buys bitumen from Belarus. I think that the economic part of relations between the countries will be inviolable. Both in Minsk and in Kiev, they are counting money, so they will try to maintain a neutral line, ” Yakubin explained.
In Kiev itself, they reacted carefully to the accusations of the Belarusian side. The official representative of the country’s Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, explained that Ukraine did not organize the supply of weapons to Belarus and never interfered in the internal affairs of the country.
Vladimir Zharikhin, Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries, believes that Lukashenka’s statement was also focused on Russia. “He will ask for economic assistance, trying not to make any promises on integration and so on. Lukashenka takes advantage of the fact that in the current situation there is frank pressure on him from the West, which seeks to displace him. Russia is now limited in the forms and methods of pressure. Because many of the things that I would like to say to Lukashenka are not said, ” the expert believes.
In his opinion, Russia takes a rather soft position towards the Belarusian leader. Moscow has been demanding for several years that Minsk recognize Crimea as Russian, as well as sign roadmaps for in-depth integration. “Lukashenka takes a position that allows him,” Zharikhin is sure. — They allow him not to go to the Crimea, and he is not going. If he is allowed not to give evidence of the participation of Russian citizens in “terrorist groups”, then he does not give it. No matter how threatening all this may sound, there is too little texture for such serious statements. We need specifics, but we don’t have them yet.”